HANDS ON: The Cartier Clé de Cartier

The handsome shape of things to come for Cartier – the new ‘Clé de Cartier’ model.

The brand new Clé de Cartier watch line is more (Clark) Gable than (Ryan) Gosling, which is extreme short hand for hot.damn.handsome . People with short attention spans can stop reading now. But for everybody else, settle in to meet the newest family member of the Cartier empire, the Clé de Cartier. ‘Clé’ means “key” in French and the watch, if we continue with the metaphor, unlocks some interesting new design codes for the brand – It is somehow less ‘Cartier looking’ than any other male watch line, but not the worse for it. The most apparent point of difference is the shape of the watch, which is one of many cushion-like shapes we’ve seen unveiled at SIHH, most tellingly the Vacheron Constantin Harmony line that we looked at here.

It is, however, a gently modified version, a circular dial (containing a round caliber) couched in a deeper oval, which recalls the C-shaped Omega Constellation designed in the ’60s by Gerald Genta. This watch’s main party trick is the innovative crown. Cartier refer to it as the literal ‘key’ for which the watch is named, though this seems to be a matter of interpretation. I’ve never seen a rectangular key like this, but its shape does vaguely resemble a key you might use to wind a table clock. Vaguely.

The C-Shaped Omega Constellation, designed by Gerald Genta and released in 1964.

The first question when you go to operate a rectangular crown is ‘um, how?’ The operation is in fact simple. And fun actually. Just the same as a round crown, with a little more clearance to allow the propellor like movement of the rectangle shape. The crown itself is embedded with a sapphire, to reference the iconic Cartier cabochon.

The overall impression on the wrist is of a substantial – there is heft to the case – and classic piece with retro ’60s appeal. It has that reassuring Cartier brand of masculinity that is a patrimonial hand on the shoulder, rather than a crushing handshake – asserted by the lovely blue roman numerals, the guilloche centre dial and the decadent chocolatey combination of pink gold and brown alligator strap.

The Cartier Clé de Cartier presents, at first look, as a new shape (yes, a new shape for Cartier, but not the ‘brand new’ shape Cartier marketing has alluded to) that is comprised of two shapes, unusual for a brand whose signature is strong, singular shapes (the square, the round, the tonneau). And its warm retro tones make it a very strong contender for the ‘new vintage’ seeker tossing up between a Ballon Bleu, Santos or Tank. Pricing is expected to put it very much in this mix.

The Clé de Cartier, live on the wrist.

CLÉ DE CARTIER SPECIFICATIONS:

About Andrew McUtchen

Andrew is the founder of Time+Tide and an established journalist and interviewer, with a background as a watch and associate editor for several major print publications. Andrew has a thing for clear, simple storytelling.

BECOME A SUBSCRIBER

Don't miss any of the action! Join the community to get access to our weekly news round-up, behind the scenes stories, and entrance into exclusive competitions.

The original content on Time and Tide Watches is copyright protected. Please email us before re-posting
our content elsewhere. When sharing our images
on Pinterest or Instagram please use the credit
‘via Time+Tide' THANK YOU